Lukas has Will Take Charge prepping at Oaklawn

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Hot Springs, AR (Sports Network) - Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had Smarty Jones Stakes winner Will Take Charge working out Thursday morning at Oaklawn Park. The 3-year-old covered four-furlongs in 48 4/5 seconds on a fast track.

"I was glad to see this from him," said Lukas, who trains Will Take Charge for Willis Horton of Arkansas. "I told the exercise rider to go in :49, so that was almost perfect. It was just a maintenance half mile, but there were a couple of horses who broke off in front of him and he was pretty aggressive. He's come back good and we're still looking at the Southwest or Rebel with him."

Coming up at Oaklawn for 3-year-olds will be the $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 18 followed by the $600,000 Rebel on March 16 with the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 13.